Revolving sand-drag



(No Model.) 2 Sheets- Sheet J.MURPH Y. REVOLVING SAND DRAG.

No. 595,442. Patented Deo. 14, 11897.

mi 'l ril` ' vv(No Model.) 2 sheets- Sheena J.MURPEY. RBVOLVING SAND DRAG.

`No. 595,442. u Patented Deo. 14,1897.

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JAMES MURPHY, OF

REVOLVING SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS.

SAND-DRAG.V

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 595,442, dated December 14, 1897.

Application filed April 24, 1897 To all whom t may concern/.9

Be it known that I, JAMES MURPHY, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at San Antonio, in the county of Bexar and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Revolving Sand-Drags; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to a sand-drag; and the obj ect is to provide a machine of this character by means of which the san d-bars formed in rivers and harbors having swift currents may be loosened, so as to permit of the current drawing away the bar to allow of navigation.

It is a well-known fact that in some riverssuch, for instance, as the Mississippi-a sandbar will form over night, thus obstructing the passage of vesselsv and materially affecting the traffic. To overcome this and to provide means for loosening the sand, which will be swept away by the current when loosened, is the main object of the invention; and to this end it consists of certain features of construction and combination of parts, which will be hereinafter fully set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side view of a vessel rigged with my improved sand-drag. Fig. 2 is an end view of the same. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail perspective of the sand-drag and the framework employed for connecting it to the vessel; and Fig. 4L is a similar view, on an enlarged scale, of a portion of the drag-cylinder, illustrating the manner of attaching the teeth thereto.

In the drawings, 1 represents a vessel, on the bow of which is mounted a crane 2. As my invention does not reside in either the vessel or the crane, a detailed description of the same is not deemed necessary.

3 denotes the framework of the sand-drag, which is preferably arched at its center, as shown, and provided with diagonal braces 4. The inner ends of the framework are pivoted to brackets 5, attached to the bow ofthe vessel, and the outer ends are formed with journal-boxes 6 to receive the drag-shaft 7, connected by sprocket chains 8 to similar sprocket-wheels 9, fixed to the ends of a trans- Serial No. 633,792. (No model.)

verse shaft l0, journaled on the deck of the vessel. This transverse shaft l0 is provided with a bevel-gear 11, in mesh with a similar gear 12, j ournaled on a shaft 13, driven by any suitable source of power. n

Fixed to the drag-shaft 7 so as'to turn therewith vis a cylinder or drum 14, which may be lled with blocks of wood or other packing 15. This cylinder or drum is formed with parallel longitudinal rows of dovetail guides 16, the entrance to which is in the direction of the line of rotation of the drum, and fitted between these dovetail guides are the dovetail heads of the hooked drag-teeth, and, owing to the arrangement of the dovetail guides and the direction of movement of the teeth, the tendency when the teeth engage the sand will be to more securely bind the Vheads of the teeth between the dovetail guides and prevent their accidental displacement.

Chains and cables are connected at the forward end of the drag-frame and permit of the same being elevated at will in the usual and well-known manner.

A machine thus constructed will be found to be very useful for the purpose for which it is designed, and, owing to its simplicity of construction, the parts will not be liable to be broken or get out of order.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

In a sand-drag, the combination of a floating vessel, a frame hinged thereto, a shaft journaled in the lower end of said frame, staves surrounding said shaft, a cylinder encircling said staves and tightly fitted thereon, said cylinder provided on its surface with a series of dovetail sockets having diverging walls, a series of detachable teeth having do'vetailed inner ends corresponding in shape to the sockets, and tightly fitted therein, and means for revolving said shaft, substantially as described. Y

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES MURPHY.

' Witnesses:

J. H. AFELECK, CARLONE SEUTTEE. 

